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Cherokee County, KS: population growth, jobs and income

Cherokee County lost 62 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.3%).

Cherokee County had an estimated 19,105 residents in 2025, down 1.0% (198 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Kansas as a whole (+1.3%), and the 46th fastest growth of 105 counties in Kansas.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Cherokee County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Cherokee County, ranked against Kansas and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$799/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes13.6%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months192025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

19

2025

1.0 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 67 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 4,974 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +0.5% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.0% in 2025, 0.3 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 19 new homes in 2025, or 1.0 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $57,668 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +37.5% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,198th.

Part of the Joplin, MO-KS metro area.

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Cherokee County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202519,105−62
202419,167+79
202319,088+40
202219,048−140
202119,188−115
202019,303–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Cherokee County

Cherokee County lost 198 people since 2020 even though 422 more people moved in from other U.S. counties than left: deaths outnumbered births by 606, and net international migration took away 12.

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−122−606
International migrationfrom and to other countries−7−12
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+67+422
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+0−2
Total change−62−198

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn KansasAmong U.S. counties
Population growth46th of 1052,198th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents26th of 1051,297th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth47th of 1051,802nd of 3,092
Median household income87th of 1052,266th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate79th of 1051,531st of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents50th of 1032,089th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Cherokee County, KS as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Cherokee County's population change (−1.0%) was ahead of 1 of its 6 neighbouring counties and behind 5.

2 of its 6 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Cherokee County's $57,668 (2020–24).

Cherokee County, KS and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Cherokee County, KS This county19,105−1.0%3.51.0$57,668
Crawford County, KS39,008+0.1%−2.21.6$52,844
Ottawa County, OK30,438+0.7%1.70.6$49,947
Labette County, KS19,685−2.4%1.60.2$56,325
Jasper County, MO127,428+3.7%5.64.3$60,694
Craig County, OK14,518+2.6%5.90.3$51,922
Newton County, MO62,263+6.1%7.40.9$66,301

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 105 Kansas counties · Every state

Questions

Is Cherokee County growing?

No. Its population fell 1.0% between 2020 and 2025, about 198 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Kansas as a whole changed +1.3% over the same years. That ranks 46th of 105 counties in Kansas for population growth.

How many people moved to Cherokee County?

On net, about 67 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Cherokee County?

It averaged 4.0% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Cherokee County?

About 19,105 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Cherokee County?

Private employers there had 4,974 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +0.5% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Kansas

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Kansas county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Cherokee County data alerts

Email me when Cherokee County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Cherokee County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.